The problems of hygiene associated with the use of toilet seats are well known. It is also well known to use a disposable covering which can be thrown or flushed away. Apparatus has also been developed for automatically feeding a portion of the covering on request.
Generally, such dispensing apparatus includes a mechanism for feeding the seat covering paper onto the seat and thence to a take-up roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,212 to Hefty et al. describes an arrangement for fitting and changing a tubular cover made of plastic film on a toilet seat, and a method for forming a tube A tubular toilet seat cover is stored on a reel and pulled off from this reel as it is replaced, and the used cover is taken up on another reel. By actuating a drive mechanism, the cover is moved through a predetermined distance in such manner that when it is in the mounted position, the toilet seat body is surrounded by the tubular cover and the cover covers the important part of the toilet seat. The toilet seat, drive mechanism and storage device constitute a structural unit which is mountable as a whole on a conventional toilet seat, or it may constitute a unit with a toilet seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,648 to Hefty et al. describes a device for applying and conveying a protective cover for a toilet seat. This device, which is generally similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,212, with the addition of actuating switch apparatus includes an unwinding spool which is supported by a switch tube which passes through it and which transmits the movement of a push button, protruding from the housing, to a switch arranged inside the housing. The unwinding spool can rotate loosely on the switch tube and is essentially independent from the switch tube's axial motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,325 to Higuchi et al. describes a toilet seat structure capable of automatically feeding a seat covering paper onto the toilet seat has paper feeding mechanism and a paper cutting mechanism operated by an electronic control unit. A specified length of paper appropriate for covering the toilet seat is automatically and accurately fed and positioned on the toilet seat. After use, the seat covering paper can automatically be cut off. For lavatories at public sites in particular, since the user can operate the apparatus to paper feed from a functional casing to provide a new seat covering paper on the toilet seat for each use, the user can be assured of a clean toilet seat. Also since the seat covering paper is held immovably on the toilet seat, the use of the paper-covered toilet is made easier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,711 to Higuchi et al. describes an electrically driven seat covering paper feeding mechanism which feeds seat covering paper from a roll stored in a storage portion. A cutting mechanism cuts the seat covering paper fed to the surface of the toilet seat body at the rear edge portion of the paper. A control unit operates the electrically driven seat covering paper feeding mechanism by predetermined control signals sequentially output to control the feeding of the seat covering paper. A battery supplies electricity to the seat covering paper feeding mechanism and the control unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,372 to Boker describes apparatus for dispensing measured lengths of a sleeve material upon an armature, especially adapted for dispensing a plastic cover upon a toilet,. The apparatus includes a source of sleeve material fed onto the armature and collected upon a take-up reel. The cover is provided with a uniform series of marks along its length which are sensed and counted to control the operation of a motor drive which directs the sleeve material to and from the armature. Timer circuits are employed to cause motor cut-off if the required length of sleeve is not dispensed within a given length of time and to inhibit motor start for a fixed period after a dispensation. The sleeve-accepting end of the armature may include an angular horn to permit the sleeve to smoothly pass onto the seat.
The above-mentioned patents use electrical drive means to advance the tubular cover. Electrical means have a disadvantage of possible electrical malfunction, or of batteries running out in the case where batteries are used to supply power to the drive means. In addition, there are safety and psychological problems associated with the use of electricity in conjunction with toilets.
An addition disadvantage of the above-mentioned covers is the necessity to raise the cover to advance the roll.